“You took the rap for my brother.” She stated softly.
“And I would do it again. No questions asked.” He said sincerely.
“But you didn’t go to jail.” She said and cocked her head to the side, trying to understand.
“No, I didn’t. The charges were dropped thanks to my mother.” He reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear that had fallen from her braid. His mother’s words rang in his head and not the ones from that ill-fated night in the police station, but the words of her apology and the reasons behind her actions. “She found my phone and knew that I hadn’t been the one responsible but that Jake was. She knew I’d rather go to jail before I went to Seattle, and she knew me well enough to know I wouldn’t let Jake go.” He let out a breath. “So I agreed to go as long as she kept what she knew to herself. She held up her end of the bargain and I held up mine.”
Sam wiped at the tears that fell from her eyes with the back of her hand. All these years she harbored such resentment for him, and all the while he had saved her brother from prison.
“I’m sorry.” She said automatically and squeezed the hand of his that held hers. “I’m so sorry I’ve given you such shit about leaving.” She shook her head as her eyes searched his. “I’ve been so selfish this whole time.” She said more as a revelation to herself than a statement directed at him. “I don’t understand though. Your mom wasn’t around much back then, why did she want you out of Riverdale so badly?”
Nick’s head throbbed from rehashing this sordid past of his. He rubbed at his temples and decided he had come this far with the truth, might as well go all the way.
“She wanted me away from your family. Mainly she wanted me away from you.” He dropped his hands to his knees and glanced over at her. “That much I didn’t know until recently when she paid me a visit after Jake passed away.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “Why did she want you to be away from me though? We weren’t even serious at that point. We never had the chance to be.”
He smiled faintly at her as he thought of the young girl she was and how she had him wrapped around her finger even back then, how obvious it had been that even his absentee mother noticed. “We may not have had the chance to be serious, but you had me back then, regardless. Even she knew that.” He leaned back against the cushions of the sofa and spread his arms along the back of the couch.
“When she came to see me she feared I’d find myself in Luke’s situation, only instead of it being some random girl, it would be the daughter of the only family I had ever known and because my parents were too self-centered to teach me a damn thing, she had been terrified I wouldn’t know how to do the noble thing and stand by you. I guess in her mind, I wouldn’t be able to do the right thing by you and ultimately I’d lose you and your family.” He shrugged his shoulders and looked at Sam. “So that’s it… that’s the whole truth.” He let out a breath and slung his arm over her shoulders, bringing her into the nook of his arm.
“I feel horrible.” Sam said honestly. She felt awful for thinking so poorly of him and the reasons he left. “Your mom thought you couldn’t do the noble thing, but you were going to take the rap for Jake, well, it doesn’t get much more selfless or noble than that.” She leaned her head against his chest. “I’ve been so scared to feel anything for you.” She lifted her head and turned in his arms so that her eyes bore into his. “I’ve been struggling to deny what I already feel for you because I’m so scared I’m going to lose you again.” She snapped her fingers. “Just like that, I think you’re going to pick up and go back to Seattle.”
“I’m not going back to Seattle, Sam.” He cupped her face in his hands. “Everything I want is right here, in Riverdale. Right here in front of me, right here in my arms.”
She gasped at his words. She had waited so long to hear them and be able to believe them. She wrapped her fingers around his wrists and her eyes stared into his. “I want you.” She said softly. “I want it all and I want it with you.” She smiled softly as she leaned her forehead against his. “Will you have me?” She whispered the question.
The corners of his mouth ticked, and he couldn’t help the lopsided grin that spread across his face. He waited a damn long time for those words to come out of that mouth. “I’ll think about it.” He teased before pressing his mouth onto hers. Her soft lips opened, maybe to protest his response, but he took it as an invitation and slid his tongue along hers. He stroked her tongue with his own and heard the soft moan come from deep within her. He smiled against her mouth as she pressed herself closer against his body. She slowly untangled their tongues and pulled her lips away from his.
“You’ll think about it?” She asked as she ran her tongue along the seam of her lips, savoring the flavor of him that lingered on her soft flesh.
He grinned at her as he toyed with the thin strap of her tank top. “Alright, alright, you’ve pulled my arm.” He looked at her, a little more serious now. “No backing out now. No running to the bathroom and telling me you can’t do this. No more excuses.” He waited a beat. “If you get nervous, you talk to me about it.” He said sternly.
Her teeth grazed her lower lip before she slowly nodded. “I won’t back out this time.” She grinned at him sheepishly. “In fact, I think we should seal the deal.” She said as she tantalizingly started to lift the hem of her tank top.
His eyes roamed up her body as she lifted her shirt higher over her breasts and eventually over her head. He let out a sharp breath as he stared at breasts that were overflowing from the top of her scantily lace bra. He thanked Christ for the miracle bra, and lifted his gaze as she reached behind her to unclasp the bra.
Her lips curved into a grin. “You like what you see?” She unhooked the bra and dropped her hands to the side, not yet letting the straps slide down her arms. She crossed her arms and slowly brought the straps down each arm, her eyes never leaving his.
“You’re beautiful.” He said huskily and watched as she dropped the lace bra to the floor. She uncrossed her arms and tucked her legs under her so she was in kneeling position. She crawled across the couch and onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her bare breasts pressed against his fitted T-shirt. She leaned her forehead against his and looked at his lips. He looked up at her from his hooded eyes and exhaled sharply. “So fucking beautiful.” He muttered and wrapped his arms around her waist.
His hands splayed across the small of her naked back before they traveled down to her ass. Her thin linen pants not leaving much to his imagination. He cocked his head slightly, allowing his lips to fit with hers. Softly and tenderly his lips fused with hers. The kiss was different than usual. The urgency had been replaced after all they had all the time in the world, no need to rush their loving. She relaxed in his arms and returned the kiss in the same fashion he had initiated it. ‘His tongue dipped between her well-kissed lips and engaged in a lustful battle with hers.
Nick faintly heard the banging on the door, but chose to ignore it; apparently Sam and he weren’t on the same page with letting their intruder disappear. She pulled away slowly and glanced over her shoulder as the banging persisted.
Nick growled at the door and Sam turned around, her frown, turning into a slight smile based on his reaction. He reached for her again. His was dick straining against her as she shifted on his lap, causing him to groan. “Babe you’re killing me. C’mon, if you ignore whoever it is they will go away.” He reached for her again, and she leaned into him, her lips a whisper apart from his. The knock sounded louder. He almost had her on his side. He grimaced and cursed whoever was on the other end of that door.
“What if it’s Luke?” She said and pulled back, and slid off his lap. Her eyes pleaded with Nick’s. “I mean really who else could it be?”
Nick roughly rubbed his face with the palms of his hand. She was right, odds are it was Luke. No one else would come knocking like lunatic at this hour. He threw his head back against the couch and took a deep breath, mentally counting back
wards hoping that did the trick in deflating his ever-growing dick.
“Nick?” Sam asked as she grabbed her tank top off the floor, forgoing the bra and just tugging it over her head.
“Okay.” He said exasperated and stood up. He glanced down at her making sure she was decent. Her breasts were standing to attention, saluting him, he made a silent promise to them that he would take care of them before he turned around and made his way to the door. Another knock sounded, even more frantic than the last bunch. “Jesus, man hold on!” Nick said and pulled the door open.
His mouth dropped slightly in shock, but he quickly recovered. Sam came up behind him and he felt her completely freeze beside him. He wanted to slam the door in Erica’s face and drag Sam back off to bed, pretending as if he never answered the door in the first place.
Erica rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip as she looked at Nick expectantly. “Aren’t you going to let me in? You left me out here long enough.” She went, to push him aside when she noticed Sam. “Sam.” She said in almost a whisper, not remembering the last time she had even spoken to the girl she once called her best friend, yet alone the last time she saw her.
Sam swallowed the lump in her throat. “Erica.” She said hoarsely.
Nick heard the tone of Sam’s voice and risked a glance at her, not sure what to expect. She was probably wondering why the hell Erica showed up at his apartment and at this hour to boot. Hell, he was wondering himself why she was at his door. He didn’t suppose this looked very well, and had no fucking idea how to get himself out of this one. Sam didn’t look in his direction. Her eyes were firmly planted on Erica and he wasn’t sure what to make of the expression on her face. It wasn’t an expression of shock, but rather of pain, it was as if she knew of Nick’s involvement with Erica. He shook away that thought quickly, knowing that the revelation could ruin everything for them just when they were getting somewhere. He reached behind him and rubbed his neck, feeling the tension in his body. He directed his eyes towards Erica.
“What are you doing here?” Nick asked, his voice full of agitation.
Erica snapped out of her stare down with Sam and looked back and forth between the two. “I’m sorry am I interrupting the two of you?” She said already knowing her answer. She wasn’t all that surprised that Nick would be here with Sam, in fact, she would have expected it, they were a force to be reckoned with, and she had always known that.
“Yeah, you…” Nick was cut off.
“No you’re not.” Sam shook her head and turned around to grab her stuff. Nick grabbed her arm, and turned her around abruptly.
“What’re you doing, Sam?” He kept his hold on her arm. She tried to pull her arm free but his hold was too tight.
“Let me go.” She said flatly. The eyes that were so full of hope when she had arrived were dull and lackluster now. Nick watched the walls slowly build around her, the walls he had only moments ago broke through.
“No!” He shouted and then closed his eyes, trying to reign himself in. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“I can come back another time.” Erica said from the doorway.
Nick turned around, his arm still holding Sam’s. “Yeah, why don’t you do that, or better yet don’t come back at all.” He spat and then turned back to face Sam. She wouldn’t even look at him, her eyes firmly planted on the floor.
Erica’s eyes widened at the harshness of Nick’s words, but then she turned her attention to Sam when she heard her speak.
“I’d like to know why you’re here Erica.” Sam said and lifted her eyes to her old friend’s. She wondered if either of them would admit the truth to her.
“Well, I work for Nick’s dad in Seattle.” Erica said and thought her answer was as safe as could be.
Sam nodded and pulled her arm free with a vigor neither she nor Nick expected. “I see, so then you and Nick worked together when he was in Seattle?” She said as she stepped closer towards Erica.
“I had left California and I bumped into Nick one day.” She looked down at her hands that she suddenly didn’t know what to do with and began to fidget.
“Right you conveniently left California when I decided to visit you.” Sam stated the anger in her veins boiling. When you keep something bottled in for so long, when it finally surfaces you become an ugly person only out for the truth. “And then what?” She snapped back impatiently.
Nick stepped between them and intervened. “And then she applied for a job at my father’s firm. End of story.” He sighed and looked at Erica with a warning glance.
Sam smiled sarcastically and her eyes darted back and forth between them, a fire raging inside of them. “Tell me, how’d the interview process go?”
“Stop it Sam.” Nick demanded. He knew her better than she thought he did, he knew she was fishing for something. What he couldn’t understand was why? Again, it was as if she knew.
“Why? It seems like an interesting tale.” Sam said with her voice full of sarcasm.
Nick looked at her skeptically for a moment and his mind wandered back to that day in the garage when Luke told him about her trip to Seattle. He grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him. “You came to Seattle, Luke told me!”
“I think I should go.” Erica said softly.
Sam kept her eyes firmly planted on Nick’s, she didn’t say a word. She wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. Cry because in an instant her heart had gone from whole, to broken into a million pieces. Laugh because she allowed it to happen. She wanted to scream because she was naïve enough to believe that Seattle was in the past, but now it stood right in front of them.
“Yes.” She said softly, almost a whisper, as if she had been defeated.
“Why?” Nick asked simply but one simple word questioned a million different things. Why hadn’t she come to him? Why didn’t he know until years later that she had been there? Why was she so mad now? Why did he fear that he had just lost her all over again?
She shook her head and tried to look away from him because looking into his eyes, knowing she’d never be able to truly have him was too much. He turned her head gently back to face him.
“Samantha, answer me.” He pleaded with his eyes.
“I came to Seattle after I graduated to surprise you, but I was the one who was surprised.” She looked over at Erica. “I knew you moved to Seattle, I saw you with my own eyes.” She took a few steps back, putting distance between her and Nick.
He swiped his hand over his head. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?” He said roughly.
Sam shrugged her shoulders. “Does it really matter?” She turned to Erica. “He’s all yours sweetheart.” She grabbed her bra and her purse and charged towards the door, needing to be as far away from them as possible.
“So that’s it?” Nick asked, his voice full of anger. “To hell with me, because of something I did what like five years ago?” He shook his head at how absurd this all was to him. “It was six years. There were women, Sam and I’m not going to lie there were a lot. Half of them I don’t remember their names. What do you want me to do? I didn’t know you were even there? Should I apologize to you for getting my dick sucked while you were across the country?”
Erica gasped, making her presence still known. “Did you just call me a blowjob?”
Sam ran her fingers through her hair, tugging at the ends as if she was losing control. She closed her eyes and before she could stop herself, she set him straight. “You weren’t just getting your dick sucked Nick. You were fucking her senseless on top of your desk.” Her rage booming through her boisterous voice, until the last words came out in a strangled cry. She took a deep breath. “Maybe I was being a bit naïve, but I flew across the country thinking that we never had our chance, that maybe we could reclaim it.” She shook her head.
“I just never expected to find, that while all my thoughts were of you, that I apparently had never crossed your mind. You didn’t need to say the words to me the reality was shoved down my throat by
watching you fuck my best friend.” She snapped her lips shut and heard the smacking noise they made. She couldn’t believe the secret she harbored was set free, and by none other than herself. She stared down at her hands for a moment before she looked up at Nick.
He stared at her speechless as he ran his fingers through his hair. Words wouldn’t erase the memory etched in her mind or her heart, which he knew. The hurt shining in her eyes sliced him like a knife, and when the look changed to disgust, the knife twisted in his open wound.
“I’m done here, I’m done with you.” Samantha whispered hoarsely, needing to get as far as she could from the two of them. She turned around and brushed past Erica, hurrying down the iron staircase.
Nick’s fist collided with the nearest wall, causing Erica to jump. He glared at her and took a step towards her. “You better have damn good reason for showing up here.” He said through gritted teeth.
Erica swallowed as she stared at the seething man in front of her. Suddenly she questioned everything about why she was here in the first place, doubting that her plan would ever wo
Chapter Eighteen
Nick hit send on his phone, for what felt like the millionth time. He had all but pushed Erica out the door last night before he began a marathon of calls to Sam, all that were either declined or ignored. Her voicemail sounded in his ear again and he let out a frustrated sigh and prepared himself to leave another message, only the beep never signaled. Her inbox was full. He felt like flinging his phone out the window and wondered if she had even listened to one of the messages he had left her, probably not, he decided.
Broken Pieces (The Riverdale Series) Page 21